Allen & Overy LLP has advised Studio 100 N.V., which has its registered office in Schelle, Belgium, on acquiring a majority share in the Munich-based brand management and media company m4e AG, which is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. The founding and main shareholders in m4e AG, who collectively held approx. 68% of the shares in m4e AG, had reached agreement with Studio 100 N.V. on the sale of all shares held by them.
In agreeing this investment, Studio 100 N.V. and m4e AG are strengthening their national and international sales potential.
Studio 100, a global leading player in children's and family entertainment, was founded in 1996 by Gert Verhulst and Hans Bourlon. The company has branches in the Netherlands and Germany, as well as animation studios in France and Australia. The famous characters created by Studio 100 appear in films, theatre performances, music, on digital platforms, in books and merchandising, as well as in live action and animations. Studio 100 also runs six theme parks in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany.
The m4e group, which was established in 2003, is a brand management and media company with a global presence which focuses on children's and family entertainment. The company is a leading player in the field of developing, producing, distributing and marketing animation and live-action programmes.
The Allen & Overy team comprised partner Dr. Nicolaus Ascherfeld (Hamburg) and Wouter van der Voorde (Antwerp), together with associates Dr. Sebastian Remberg (Hamburg) and Dr. Stefan Witte (Hamburg, all Corporate/M&A). The team also included partners Dr. Heike Weber (Tax, Frankfurt) and Dr. Jens Matthes (IP, Düsseldorf), counsel Dr. Jonas Wittgens (Corporate/M&A, Hamburg), senior associates Max Landshut (Corporate/M&A, Hamburg), Sören Seidel (Employment & Benefits, Hamburg) and Miray Kavruk (IP, Düsseldorf), as well as associates Dr. Wolfgang Wittek (Employment & Benefits), Dr. Daniel Bolm (Real Estate, all Hamburg), Gunnar Harlacher (Tax, Frankfurt) and Jennifer Sauder (IP, Düsseldorf).
